Tennessee Bible College

Same philosophy upon which it was founded 40 years ago by the late Malcolm Hill, who, as an aspiring young preacher in the mid-1950s, had struggled to make ends meet while pursuing his own college-level Christian education and made it his life’s work to help others avoid the same hardships.

For Hill, the establishment of TBC, where he served as President from 1975 to 2010 and as Chancellor until his death in 2012, had been a dream come true—a way in which young men and women could be trained as “Gospel preachers, Bible teachers, and Christian workers,” whether they could afford it or not. It’s a dream that continues to be realized today.

Even though it holds firmly to its roots, the college has also seen its share of changes over the past four decades—most notably, an 18,000-square-foot administration building in 1995 on 10 beautiful acres of countryside in northeast Cookeville, conveniently located just off Interstate 40 and Highway 111. A thriving Online College has also emerged, allowing faculty members to “go into all the world and preach the gospel” in ways unfathomable in years gone by, serving not only local and state communities but students all over the globe.

TBC offers a two-year certificate in Bible—its earliest program, going back to when it operated as a night school in a church building—and three degree-granting programs. Students may work toward a Bachelor of Religious Education, Master of Theology, and even a Doctor of Theology. TBC became the first church of Christ-affiliated school to confer the Ph.D. in 1986.

TBC is also one of few schools in the country with a specialty in apologetics, which is the study of Christian evidences. The program, implemented by noted philosopher, debater, and former TBC Vice President Dr. Thomas B. Warren, prepares students to defend the Bible against atheism, agnosticism and skepticism. Other course offerings include doctrine, biblical text, church history, original biblical languages, ministry, evangelism and more, all of which have attracted a steady stream of students over the years from as far away as Russia, China, and Africa.

It addition to its campus and online students, TBC welcomes others in the community to reap spiritual benefits through two annual events—the Spiritual Renewal Lectureship the last week of February and Truth Bible Camp in mid-June.

Another unique factor is that TBC operates solely on contributions from churches of Christ and other interested individuals and businesses, with no federal funding—which TBC officials say is essential for keeping it on the same path as when it began, with no outside interference.

“We are very thankful for our 40 years in Tennessee and with the Lord’s help, look forward to many more,” said David Hill, President.

Tennessee Bible College is authorized for operation as a post-secondary education institution by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. In order to view detailed job placement and completion information on the programs offered by Tennessee Bible College, please visit http://www.tn.gov/thec and choose the Authorized Institutions Data button.In many